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The Casino Royale, Zeon's newest ex-Federation toy, gifted to them by the talented Mr. Bond, was well on its way to California Base. Its skeleton crew felt reasonably safe, despite the heavily-damaged state of the ship, thanks to the 6 Panzergrendiers stationed aboard. Word had gotten out that one of them was a female, and the male crew members were placing bets on whether or not anyone on board would have the balls to ask her out. Unfortunately, no one would have the chance. Scott Archer ploughed into the ship's damaged hull with twin beams from his charged megaprticle cannons. The thick metal melted like butter as the crew scrambled to man the anti-aircraft guns. Buttons were pressed, levers pulled, and wheels turned on the Hillock; Scott Archer threw the maneuverable Core Booster into a tight spin as he passed over the beleaguered ship, leveling off for just a moment to drop his air-to-surface bomb. His wingmates, two crack jet core booster pilots, were dealing admirably with a fairly steady stream of missiles pouring from the ship. The bridge of the Hillock-class ship erupted into horrified babble as the aft deck erupted into flames. Several crewmembers were torn to pieces from the twisted metal shrapnel sent flying, among them, the female Panzergrenadier. A Zeon private rushed to aid the wounded - or more specifically, the wounded woman. She shot him a grateful smile for his actions, followed by a icy stare for his thoughts. Her fellow Panzergrenadiers were attempting to bring a large machine gun to bear on the Core Booster, trying to pinpoint where it would be on its next pass. Smoke trailed behind the Core Booster and sparks jumped from a few freid control panels, but Scott Archer was not a man to feel fear during combat, or be deterred from his mission. The enemy ship was dead in the water, not dead - yet - And neither was he. His two wingmates joined him as he came in for the second - the last - pass. Missiles flew from each of the 3 aircraft, streaking ahead of them toward the motionless vessel. Two were taken out by desperate anti-aircraft fire, and a third by the stalwart Panzergrenadiers, but it was not enough. The mega particle fire from Scott's Core Booster was the nail in the coffin for the groaning Casino Royale. It began to sink, more quickly than Archer had expected; water was pouring in through large holes in the starboard side. A few more 130mm cannon rounds were fired, more in defiance than in the hope of damaging the attacking aircraft. The Panzergrenadiers had managed to down one of the jet core boosters, and were still trying to bring the machinegun to bear on the retreating fighters, up until Archer blasted the unit with another round of mega particle fire. Five minutes later, the keel of the mighty Hillock was horizontal. Twenty more, and only submarine units would be able to tell that there had ever been a ship there. Scott Archer: 6 VP Gained, Repairing 3 Heavy fog still grips the coastal city known as New York. Once regarded as the crossroads of the world, it had been reduced to ruins time and time again in this war. Now, as the Duchy of Zeon flag is once again hoisted over the East River, the city is reborn as another military base. Zeon soldiers under the watchful eye of Obersturmbannfuhrer Sebastian Brennan continued entrenching themselves in the urban rubble. They just smashed the Federal garrison here yesterday and already a network of defenses are active. Antiaircraft guns and surface-to-air missile batteries stood sentry in the rubble of this city battlefield. The most impressive piece is the Howitzer battery Brennan had installed. The massive 880mm rifled artillery weapon brings a half smile to the SS officer's face. A few of the soldiers looked up from their trench shovel. Some of them saluted despite exhaustion from hard laboar. Brennan returned their salutes as he continued his inspection tour. In the newly erected Hangar, Brennan took a long gaze at the assembled formation. Everything from Z'Gok E's, Acguys, Goufs, the new Gelgoog Test types, Doms, Zaku II Ks, Hygoggs, Dom Cannon, Gyan Test Type, and his own Zeon Gundam stood in their full glory. Mechanics and repair crews ran all around them, undoing as much of the battle damage as they could. A short distance away, the pilots who made their victory over New York possible enjoyed whatever rations are available. There is simply no time to bother setting up a proper field kitchen. Rhett Paruta and Cora fussed over the seals on the cartons as they sat on the outstretched hand of a destroyed GM. Esther Mackernan chews her bread as she watched Ton Knight fumble with a sauce packet. A dinner and a show as they say. Alek Irusk cracked a chemical heating pad in an attempt to warm up his beverage. A short distance away, Noelle Everett is helping Duncan Keystone search the ration pallets for something other than "vegetable soup". Everything seems just right in Brennan's mind. Only one thing is missing... "Obersturmbannfuhrer!" Here it comes, thought Brennan as he turned towards the voice. "What is it?" he asked. Vannessa Okoye ran up to the SS officer with a message form in hand. "Sir, the listening outpost reports contacts on their sensors. Airborne." Jim Irwin looked out the canopy of his Tin Cod as he soared high over the 87th Integrated Fleet. With one hand he salutes the three Medeas who are peeling away from the Big Trays. Their holds are empty and the Medeas will be unescorted but the transport planes will be making the first move against the Zeon ground forces. It with anxiety-driven urgency that the EFGF returned to North America. The Zeon ground forces had torn a path of destruction that reached around the globe. Now they have a chance to corner the monster. As the rest of the 87th Integrated Fleet formed a patrol action outside of New York City, the three Medeas will be the advance guard to another siege of the city. The Medeas can only count on the heavy fog for defense. The idea doesn't sit lightly with the flight crews. Yet duty bound, the Federal transports flew up the eastern seaboard. "Do you have any other readings other than the Medeas?" asked Brennan into a field radio. "Negative, sir. Visibility is less than a hundred yards. No other aerial contact and no foot vibrations on the ground other than the team we were expecting." Brennan thought to himself. "They must be supporting something. If it isn't flying then it's on the ground. Give me the artillery watch officer." Vannessa Okoye handed Brennan a different radio set. "Commander? I want you to lay down a barrage at these coordinates..." Over at the howitzer battery, an officer and his aide wrote down notes. "Yes sir, I copy your coordinates. Preparing twelve rounds at plus two hundred AG Quick." Specialist E2 Persephone Dawn worked the controls of her new Zaku II Manipulator Type. She still remembers the river of Federal war machines that plowed over her positions at Odessa. Hopefully, Zeon's good fortune since Odessa will continue. Suddenly thunder shook the ground beneath the Zaku II Manipulator Type. Small flashes spark in the dense fog. Dawn's experienced ears could tell the sound of artillery. Especially Zeon artillery. The pilot picked up her pace. The only reason weapons of that caliber are being fired is if a sieging army is moving in. That means Dawn needs to enter the New York base before that army finishes her encirclement. She needn't have hurried. The three Medeas that made up the "sieging army" are loitering outside the SAM envelope. The Federal crews watched the fireworks below and spent the rest of the time wondering what the next day would bring. Sebastian Brennan - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Rhett Paruta - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Esther Mackernan - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Tony Knight - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Alek Irusk - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Marko Dresner - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Noelle Everett - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Duncan Keystone - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Persephone Dawn - 1 VP Gained, No Damage |